Friday, September 14, 2007

An inspired practical joke

First a word from our sponsor -- me... and then today's post. Video testimonials from the first Sitcom Room are now on line and available here. I look like a dork on this thing but the other people come off cool.

Just a couple of slots remain open for Sitcom Room II. Details here. Thanks.

And now back to your regularly scheduled blog.

After writing all those Bar Wars practical jokes episodes of CHEERS, no one loves a good practical joke war more than me. I found a real one recently that is truly great. Two guys from collegehumor.com have been going at it for about a year now.

In this installment, one of them goes to Yankee Stadium with his girlfriend and is in for quite a shock.

Don't worry Bill. She was upset at the boyfriend that night, but according to this interview with Deadspin, she's mostly gotten over that and is now targeting Amir. I can only imagine that prank #7 will be co-authored by the woman scorned.

Ken, you don't look like a dork in the video, but you would have looked cooler if you'd put on the fake mustache. And a big sombrero. Or maybe a beret. Berets are cool.

We were all so exhausted by that point we look like POWs. In my case, a POW who'd eaten his platoon in captivity, but a POW nonetheless.

That practical joke is classic, and to me in its way as beautiful as the Mona Lisa. But I agree that poor Sharon got used. This clip could not honestly post a disclaimer saying "No one's feelings were hurt during the performance of this gag." Yeah, Sharon, track down Amir.

But for someone to spend all that time, energy, and money setting it all up...I'm in awe. And then the couple's seen but unheard argument, culminating in that slap--I guess the best comedy timing is found in real life.

Yah -- thinking about it a bit more, I've never seen a person in real life get slapped, and it seems even less likely in this situation. Why would she slap him if he's, as I assume a real person would, simply saying that it wasn't him who put it up there?

This is an improvement over the original. In 1993, I did something similar at the old Ballpark In Arlington.Two actor acquaintances sat in the designated seats and, when the time came, the Rangers showed them on the diamond vision with the super: Amy, will you marry me? Love, Billy. "Amy" then pulled off her wig, revealing short hair. She held up a sign: I can't I'm a boy."Billy" then pulled off his wig, shook down his long hair and held up a sign: That's ok, I'm a girl." The couple embraced and jumped up and down as the whole crowd laughed and applauded.

Do any of the people here saying it's fake have any proof of that at all? Have they clicked on the link that r.a. porter provided and looked at Amir's interview? Or looked at any of the first five pranks, also available for easy viewing? Jeez.

I'm still really surprised at the number of people who look at this and believe it to be true.

Here's the giveaway... Look at the open-mike prank. First this experienced open-mike standup is totally unprepared to move on to other topics/material when something tanks.

Second, "Spontaneously" several people in the audience begin calling the prankee fat and lambasting for being fat. No one in the audience objects as the fat taunts continue. Even if it was a prank - how long would everyone in a New York audience allow someone to be repeatedly be called fat?

Every one of the four pieces I looked at had these giveaways. Sometimes the acting is better than others. Sometimes the camera angles seem more realistically opportunistic than others. But generally, it's all very staged and controlled.

I stake my good name (even though I don't reveal my name here!) on the fact that these are produced pieces and not actual pranks.

Well, real or no, I laughed real guffaws and then felt some real guilt for doing so. I'd love to know more about it and look forward to your follow-up, Ken.

Back in 1992, I proposed to my (now) wife at Yankee Stadium in almost exactly those same seats in almost the same way. I bought 28 tix to the Friday Red Sox game, contrived to get us to the game but to the wrong section, then moved up later (after all ready proposing, ring-in-Cracker Jacks box and everything). She was stunned. The screen read, "On this, our 100th game together, please say you'll marry me." My brother, in charge of the video, messed up by confusing the on/off switch so that we have only a minute of useful footage followed by sideways shots of his lap.

About KEN LEVINE

Named one of the BEST 25 BLOGS by TIME Magazine. Ken Levine is an Emmy winning writer/director/producer/major league baseball announcer. In a career that has spanned over 30 years Ken has worked on MASH, CHEERS, FRASIER, THE SIMPSONS, WINGS, EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND, BECKER, DHARMA & GREG, and has co-created three series. He and his partner wrote the feature VOLUNTEERS. Ken has also been the radio/TV play-by-play voice of the Baltimore Orioles, Seattle Mariners, San Diego Padres. and Dodger Talk. He hosts the podcast HOLLYWOOD & LEVINE

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